


A Flower That Blooms in the Sky

by CaiAbuyen



Category: demon slayer - Fandom, 鬼滅の刃 | Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Anime)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fanfiction, Fluff, I don't know what to put anymore LOL, this story is crappy, xReader., xoc - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:35:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 16,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27039574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaiAbuyen/pseuds/CaiAbuyen
Summary: . . .
Relationships: Tokito Muichiro/Reader, Tokitou Muichirou/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 18





	1. The Beginning

Walking over a patch of bright purple flowers— the current sky pillar, found herself wondering about the uneven balance of life. The concept of death for her is too confusing. Just how come that those who are innocent and living in peace die faster than those who are eaten by darkness?

The anguished screams of the civilians rang inside her head, as she recalled the scenes from her previous mission. Their cries of pure sadness and hatred, tugged the strings of her heart, producing a sound of guiltiness to seep down her veins, while her eyes watched them grieve for their loss.

She could feel the pent up frustration. The fury within that she kept at bay slowly unleash. And as more time passed, she could feel her cool heating up. 

Demons, they were such vile creatures. They show no remorse in their crimes. As long as they could eat, live longer, and attain power, they will not hesitate to slaughter the entire mankind. Kill, kill, and kill, that's the only thing that runs in their minds. 

But she pitied them. She pitied those once innocent souls. They were just tainted by darkness probably due to the misery that they went through when they were humans. However, the fact that they killed and eaten tons never made her falter in slicing their necks in one go. 

That's her duty as a Demon Slayer. She purged evil with her life on the line. And now that she's introduced as a new pillar, her duties had increased more. Night by night she is sent to different missions with no rest. Heck, her own district to patrol isn't even counted on that. 

"Caw! Caw! Kocho Hanae! Northwest! Head Northwest! A demon is causing havoc in a village! Caw!", 

There it is, the alarm from her crow, as it landed on top of her head to nip her hair. A breeze passed by the flower field and within seconds, the small figure of a girl disappeared with no traces at all. 

Tree to tree, trail to trail, Kocho Hanae zoomed towards the place that she was tasked to, at an incredible speed. Like her older sister, Kocho Shinobu, the insect pillar— Hanae too, is known to be the fastest in the group of pillars. The only difference is, Hanae can actually cut heads despite her small form. 

The tips of her zori sandals landed quietly on one of the roofs, with her eyes lingering to examine the demon from below. A smile that never vanished from her face adorned her features, as she gently called the demon's attention. 

"Hello~!",

She waved her left hand in the air like a child who is calling her friends from the distance. The demon, who noticed this, immediately turned around, surprised to see a young girl, dressed in a tinted-purple uniform with a sword in hand. It stared dumbfounded at her, laughing like a hyena afterwards. 

"Good evening sir! Are you the one who is causing chaos in this village?", Her voice as innocent as ever, echoed throughout the surroundings. Surprising, those demon slayers who arrived first, only to cower behind a wall. 

' Why did they sent another child!', their thoughts screamed, unknown to them that the child they are talking about is one of those high ranked pillars in the organization. 

"Why yes, yes I am", the demon answered, wanting to play along with the kid. He thought that it won't hurt to let the child play for a while, before devouring her in shreds. Yes, a disgusting kind offer it is. 

"You're causing so much trouble for the townspeople. I'm sorry to say, but you are to be eliminated", Hanae frowned, sheathing her blade that rested on her belt. She leapt down, landing gracefully on the ground. "Don't worry tho! My Breathing Style doesn't hurt for a bit!", 

"W-what do you mean?", Now the demon is confused and nervous. He saw his life flash before his eyes, and it was weird. Hanae is radiating with innocence, but there is something else in it. Something he couldn't place a finger on. 

His vision suddenly turned up side down, and he could no longer feel his body. The silhouette of the young girl wasn't in front of him now, but instead he could feel her presence a meter from behind. 

"I can't have you lurking around this village. I hope that the heavens would accept you", She sheathed her blade back to it's scabbard, before turning around. Her eyes set on the cremating head. "May you rest in peace", 

Silence engulfed the whole area. It stayed that way in five minutes, until she called the slayers that were hiding. "You can come out now!", It shocked them when such a mere girl could notice their presence.

One by one, four demon slayers scrambled on their feet in front of the lass, each of them having a frown plastered on their faces. They were injured, some of them even have broken legs or arms, but the girl in front of them wasn't even scathed. No scratches, no wounds, no bruises, no broken bones. 

"Some kakushis are now on their way here. Just wait for them, alright? All of you will be brought to the butterfly estate, there you'll rest for your injuries to heal", Hanae kindly smiled at them, both her hands clasped behind her back. The hem of her skirt flowed as a faint breeze passed by, whilst her hair danced along. 

"Who are you?", One of them ask, catching Hanae off guard. Her eyes blinked for a couple of times, processing the question that was blurted out of nowhere.

"Pardon me?", 

"Who are you? How can you kill that demon with such ease? You haven't even used your Breathing Style!", The way it toned was harsh. Venom laced each word, and the glare that was set on Hanae threw daggers on her, but she remained smiling. 

One of his companions nudged his shoulder, warning him to control his anger and frustration. All of them felt the same, but they kept it in bay, except for the one who spat on the lass. 

A kakushi happened to arrive earlier, and the conversation rang inside his ears. He frantically went in front of the demon slayers, annoyed at the way they acted. 

"Treat a pillar with respect! You morons! That girl who protected you is no other than Kocho Hanae-sama, the sky pillar!", He accusingly pointed a finger at them. Sooner, more kakushis came, only to be greeted by their fellow kakushi who is in the verge of lashing on the injured demon slayers. 

Their eyes then travelled from the scene to a silent yet smiling Kocho, who watched the scene in amusement. "P-pardon us Kocho-sama!", One of them squeaked, earning a nod from the pillar.

"Please treat their injuries and bring them to the butterfly estate. Any injured person shall rest there", 

"As you wish!", With that, they scurried to bandage the boys, while asking about the whole ordeal, upon hearing it from the kakushi, the rest went to scold the demon slayers, who could only drop their heads in shame. 

Hanae started to walk away from the scene, her head set on returning home. She had patrolled her district before she came in the village, and seeing that all threats are gone, it is time for her to go back. 

Along the way she met a fellow pillar, Kanroji Mitsuri, who is also on her way back to her estate. "Kanroji-san!", Hanae called, catching up with the love pillar's walking pace. 

As her light green eyes spotted the familiar butterfly ornaments on a certain mob of black hair beside her, Mitsuri didn't waste a single second to latch her body on Hanae's small form, squishing her in. 

"Oh, Hanae-chan! How's your mission?!", She exclaimed, squashing Hanae even more. After ten minutes of being in that position, Mitsuri separated her body from Hanae's, as she squealed in delighted upon noticing the faint blush on Hanae's cheeks. "Aren't you so cute! I really want to steal you and make you my sister instead!", 

"Thank you?", It was more of a question. Hanae doesn't really know how to react on Mitsuri's previous statement. Stealing her from Shinobu won't do any good. In fact, Hanae is even sure that the insect pillar would declare a war, if Mitsuri were to steal her. Tho, she is quite thankful that the love pillar didn't notice how her tone rose in the end, for she continued to blabber about the happenings in her mission. 

"The demon was so hard to kill! If it weren't for Muichiro-kun then I'll be probably in shreds now! It gives me goosebumps by just remembering it!", 

Her brose raised in a questioning manner, "Tokito-san?", Ah, the mist pillar. The ever so mysterious twelve years old boy. The sole person whom Hanae couldn't find to approach. She couldn't even stand in a place with the boy alone, it makes her nervous for some reason. 

"Yes! We were paired by Oyakata-sama. He's so cool! You will surely be fascinated if you saw his skills! Oh! It would even be better if the two of you are paired", Mitsuri concluded with a finger in the air. 

"Just imagine how the two youngest pillars would join forces to preserve humanity", The love pillar dreamily added, imagining a scenario in where Hanae along with Muichiro, fighting some demons in an area. She looked exactly like someone who had just read a romantic novel, making Hanae sweat-drop.

"Really? Well, I'm usually paired with nee-san or Giyu-san. ", she sheepishly replied. The two of them stopped, reaching the intersection of the street. With Mitsuri's estate on the right path, and the butterfly estate on the left. "I think this is where we'll separate, Kanroji-san", 

Hanae bowed down, whom the girl returned with a hug. The two of them then walked either ways, waving their hands every step they made, until the other is no where in sight. She continued to head home, stopping midway when her crow flew and landed on top of her head. 

"You silly crow, you sure do love to stay on my head", she giggled, raising her pointer finger in the air. The crow immediately knew the motion, leaving her head to rest on the finger she provided. The bird wasn't too heavy at all, considering that it was so small, even smaller than the normal size of a toddler crow. 

She smiled at the bird, who in return flapped it's wings happily. "Your job for today is all done, you should rest now", Hanae cooed in a very loving way, as she rubbed it's head gently. The crow pecked her finger as a goodbye before leaving her alone in front of the butterfly estate. 

°•🌼•°

🌼°•Taisho Secret!•°🌼

•Hanae cares for her baby crow so much, that when Uzui Tengen's crow bullied hers, she didn't hesitate to throw a stick on his head, which resulted into a cat and mouse chase. 

"That's what you get when your crow bullies mine!", 

"You brat! Come back here!",

°•🌼•°

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I kind of renovated this story. So, if anything confuses you, just please let me know. 
> 
> Thank you for reading! Make sure to leave a kudos, or comment! I would highly appreciate that!


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning greeted with peace, with the skies as blue as the ocean, clouds as white as snow, wind as cold as running water, and lastly the sun that radiates such tremendous warmness brought a calming sensation to a certain pillar, who is currently on her way to the Flame Pillar's estate with a box of mochi in hand. 

She hadn't visited the place for a while, and Senjuro is probably waiting for her to come by. The Rengokus were Hanae's second family, she treated both Kyojuro and Senjuro as her siblings, and Shinjiro as a father figure, even if he doesn't really acknowledge her at times. 

Her porcelain hand reached to knock on the the wooden door, only for it to open beforehand. Senjuro stood in front of her with a broom in hand, he must've been sweeping when he coincidentally opened the door. 

"Hanae-nee! What brings you here? Please come in!", He then opened the door, stepping aside in the process as she let the young girl enter. "It's good to see you again! It's been three week since you last came by!", 

"I'm sorry, I got caught up with mission after mission. Oh, I brought some mochi with me", She raised the bento box that she'd been carrying with both hands, before giving it to Senjuro who gladly accepted it. 

The young boy happily opened the box, his eyes widening at the sight of neatly arranged sakura mochi, "Thank you for these nee-san! May I ask tho, are you in a hurry? If not, I would want to know if you'd like to join me for some tea? We can eat these mochi too!", 

Hanae smiled at the way Senjuro bashfully asked. Ruffling his hair, Hanae gave a nod, to which the boy replied with a huge grin on his face. "A cup of tea and mochi sounds nice, besides I'm not busy at all", 

"That's great! Come nee-san, let's go!", 

Her eyes closed in a delighted way when she took a bite from the very mochi that she bought from a shop down the road. The sweet taste and smooth texture danced inside her mouth which made her go in cloud nine state. It was so delish that she could just go and eat the pastry with no end, but she refrained herself from doing so. 

Senjuro, on the other hand, was also munching his second mochi, he also shared the same expression as Hanae, and when the smooth ice cream filling flowed in his mouth, her brows shot up in amazement.

"Some of them have ice cream as fillings!", He commented, to which Hanae agreed to. 

"Kanroji-san was the one who suggested the shop, and she wasn't lying when she told me that the lady there sells yummy sweets. By the way, where's Kyojuro-san?", 

"Nii-san was sent into a mission yesterday night, and he told me that it would take a week", He replied with a frown, concern for his brother flooded through his mind. 

"Don't worry Senjuro-kun, Kyojuro-san is a strong person, plus he is a pillar! He'll come back in no time", Hanae patted his head, calming him in the process.

The two of them continued to chat for some time, until Hanae decided to leave. She bid her goodbyes to both Senjuro and Shinjiro (who just brushed her off), before leaving the estate. 

On her way back, Hanae saw her sister who just came back from a mission. She fastened her pace in order to catch up with the insect pillar, unfortunately she had to trip over a stray rock that appeared out of no where. She mentally scolded herself from her lack of awareness which resulted the fall, with her face still intact on the ground. 

Any passersby would've thought that she was just fooling around, but no, she wasn't. The fall was actually hard enough to form a scratch or bruise on her forehead. She felt a pair of claws land on her head, followed by a series of pecks. She winced each time the beak would land on her scap, and since it hurt so bad, she had to swat it away. 

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Please stop!", Hanae exclaimed, glaring at the unfamiliar crow that landed on her. It wasn't Giyu's, nor was it Shinobu's, it wasn't hers either. With knitted brows she stood up, fixing her disheveled state, before motioning the crow to fly on her arms.

"Pecking someone isn't nice, you must learn how to treat others just like how you treat your master. Goodness", a pout marveled her face, and it turned into a pained one when the crow bit her uncovered hand. "You never listen don't you", she sighed. 

"Caw! Caw! I lost my master! Caw!",

Hanae raised a brow at this, it is quite unusual for a kasugai crow to get lost. "And who might your master be?", She asked, her eyes trained on the road in front of her, Shinobu was no longer in sight, to which Hanae concluded to reach their home already. Her eyes turned back to the crow again, waiting for it to answer. 

"Caw! Tokito Muichiro-sama Caw!", 

Her eyes widened at the answer, sweat suddenly dripping from her forehead. Just hearing Muichiro's name raised her anxiety, what more else when she'd come face to face with the boy. "A-are you really sure about that?", 

"Caw! What a dumb woman you are. Of course, a crow wouldn't just forget it's master. Caw!", 

She sweat-dropped, a crow just insulted her. . .great! But instead of getting annoyed, she just merely glanced at it before whistling for her own crow. She couldn't bring herself to bring the crow back to it's own master, "I'm sorry okay? I couldn't bring you back, at least let my crow help you. Is it okay?", 

The crow cawed, which Hanae took as a sign of agreement. Sooner, her baby crow went to land on top of her head, nibbling a strand of her in the process. Hanae giggled at this, before ordering it to search for the mist pillar and to lead the violent crow back to it's owner. 

When the two birds flew away, Hanae watched as their bodies grew smaller until it was no where to be seen. Turning towards the street that leads to the butterfly estate. 

"Welcome home. . .", The three girls trailed off, as they saw the messy bush of black hair, the crumpled and dusty uniform, and the white socks that are now tainted with dirt. It wasn't really what they were expecting. 

"What happened, Hanae-san!?", Kiyo was the first to react, as she gently took her hand and guided her inside. Sumi went to grab some clean rag, while Naho ran towards her room in order to fetch a spare of clean uniform. 

"I have some trouble along the way. I'm alright though, no need to freak out", She calmed the girls. They were quite unsure of it at first, but when she flashed them a smile they were half-convinced. 

Shinobu then came out from one of the doors along with Kanao, surprised to see her sister in such a sight. Kanao noticed this too, and due to worry she immediately rushed to Hanae, who sat on the floor with a smile that screams 'I'm alright!'. 

"What happened to you?", Shinobu asked, as she brushed away Hanae's bangs from her forehead, seeing a red mark in the middle. She immediately ordered Sumi to get a pack of ice in order to ease the swelling. 

"Alright, I'll tell you, just please don't think of roasting a crow for supper", Hanae inhaled a deep breath, before releasing it out along with the whole story from visiting the Rengokus, to leaving, to seeing Shinobu on the way, to tripping from a rock, and lastly to Muichiro's violent crow. 

Shinobu literally have a vein popping on her head, when she heard the whole story. A sweet smile was plastered on her face, but it was clear as day to Kanao and Hanae that Shinobu is irritated, at the fact that such a mere crow hurt her sister. 

Every since Hanae was young, Shinobu and Kanae wouldn't even let a single mosquito or insect bite her, they treated her just like how they treated Kanao, and hearing her speak about the crow made her blood boil. Just who is this crow to harm her beloved baby sister? 

"Wait here girls, I'll go to hunt a crow for supper, I'll be back in a minute", she stood up, walking away, her blade unsheathed from it's scabbard.

"Nee-san!", Hanae exclaimed in a whine like tone, urging Kanao to help and stop the insect pillar from roasting the poor animal. Hanae literally used every ounce of strength that she have while holding her back, while Kanao did the same in the front. 

Aoi came out from one of the doors, only to be greeted by the commotion with a questioning look. The trio immediately told her about the whole story, to which she reacted by shrugging her shoulders off not really paying any mind, but was worried deep down. 

It took some time for Shinobu to calm down, and when she did, both Hanae and Kanao released a relieved sigh. Shinobu then told Hanae to wash herself up and change into clean clothes, to which she gladly obliged. Kanao also went to follow her, eager to help her sister by fetching water. 

When they entered the bathroom, Hanae didn't waste to step on into the tub filled with the water that they fetched from a well. Kanao left her afterwards, knowing where and when to step out from someone's privacy. 

"What a day. . .", Hanae mumbled before sinking her body in the warm filled water bathtub. 

°•🌼•°

🌼°•Taisho Secret!•°🌼

•Shinobu secretly went out to hunt Muichiro's crow. She was eventually going to stew the crow when she caught it, but unfortunately her crow came to send her a mission for the night. She was disappointed afterwards, for she really want to torture the damn crow that harmed her sister.

°•🌼•°

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I kind of renovated this story. So, if anything confuses you, just please let me know.
> 
> Thank you for reading! Make sure to leave a kudos, or comment! I would highly appreciate that!


	3. Chapter 3

A week had passed, and now — Hanae is spotted standing behind the huge figure of Himejima Gyomei, the Stone Pillar— completely shielded from the eyes of her seniors, most importantly she is staying away from Uzui Tengen, the Sound Pillar— completely knowing that he's seeking for a kind of revenge from the girl who threw a stick with accuracy to hit his head. 

All ten of them were present, chatting with each other (except for the introverted ones), tho it ceased for a moment, when Uzui Tengen himself asked about a certain sky pillar. 

"Where's the flamboyant chibi-chan?", 

Hanae flinched at the mention of her nickname that Tengen had given her. With her hands gripping Gyomei's, as if telling him to hide her further. But alas, the lady of odds were in her side, since Iguro Obanai, the Snake Pillar— pointed her small hiding figure behind Gyomei's. "She's hiding behind Himejima-san", 

In one swift motion, Hanae's feet were no longer touching the ground, but instead she's dangling in the air. The sky pillar was about to dash, when Tengen caught her arm. She's doomed. . .really, really doomed. All eyes were on her, and when she said all. She meant every single eyes, even Muichiro's. 

"U-Uzui-san, please put Hanae-chan down", Mitsuri sweat-dropped, as she raised both her hands in a calming gesture. 

"No, I refuse to let her down, not until she says sorry", Tengen replied, "This girl ruined my flamboyance by throwing a stick on me two weeks from now", 

This made Shinazugawa Sanemi, the Wind Pillar— scoff. "And there I thought you're flamboyant", 

"Of course, I'm flamboyant! I'm the most flamboyant man in world history", he argued back, to which Sanemi responded with a grunt, not wanting to waste his time. 

"Uzui-san, please put my sister down", Shinobu's honeyed laced voice rang in the area, tho it wasn't pure sweetness since it was also tainted with venom. She calmly smiled at him, but deep down she wanted to whack him in the head. 

"Uzui, Hanae is obviously getting sick from being held like that. Poor child, Namu Amida Butsu", Gyomei pointed out. Hanae's face was literally pale in the moment, being held in the air with both her hands in a tight grip was no fun at all. 

"Nee-san will surely haunt you in your sleep if you don't put Hanae-chan back on the ground", Shinobu sweetly threatened, which only made Uzui laugh at her antics. 

"As I said I won—", 

The moment Hanae landed on the ground, she wasted no time in scurrying away, gently pulling a certain someone as a shield to hide her her from the menacing glare of Uzui Tengen. You see. . .she may have not kicked the sound pillar in a certain place, which made him drop her. 

Mitsuri emitted a faint 'pfft', a hand on her mouth as she mentally told herself not to laugh at the scene. The pillar's eyes were on her, as if mentally telling her to stop, which she immediately apologized to. However, Hanae continued to remain standing behind a pillar, with both her hands gripping on the the pillar's clothes. 

"You brat! That isn't a flamboyant action! Step out", Tengen irritatedly exclaimed, only to receive a tongue from Hanae, who immediately went back to hide after peaking. 

"Please don't give me to him, please, please", she chanted in a hush manner, tightly closing her eyes, as she continued to use Tokito Muichiro, the Mist Pillar— as a shield. 

"Stop covering her Tokito! That girl clearly needs to learn the word 'flamboyance'", He accusingly, pointed a finger towards Muichiro, who had no idea what was happening. He was just busy dozing off with his thoughts when this happened. 

As if time had stopped, Hanae snapped her eyes wide, when she heard Tengen. Her eyes then travelled to the familiar tinted-torquoise uniform, to the familiar strands of mint tipped hair. She started to process the information, and when realization dawned her, Hanae immediately pulled away, stumbling herself backwards. 

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to use you as a shield, Tokito-san! I'm really really sor— Eek!", She squeaked, petrified in place, when Muichiro turned around to look at her. Every single functioning system within her body started to stop, including her breathing. 

Shinobu immediately dragged her away from the group, Mitsuri also followed afterwards, concerned for the well-being of the sky pillar, who remained unmoving. 

"Hanae-chan? Hanae-chan? Snap out of it please?", The insect pillar gently rubbed her back, with her eyes screaming with worry, but still Hanae refused to move. 

Now it was Mitsuri, the love pillar started to shake Hanae back-and-forth, with a little bit force. "Hanae-chan! Hanae-chan! Come on! At least show some response!", 

"Kanroji-san! That won't do any good!", Shinobu exclaimed, wanting to stop Mitsuri but her strength wasn't enough. She pleadingly glanced at the pillars who were now sharing the same worried faces, except for those stoic faced pillars. 

"Kanroji, Kocho is right. That won't do any good, let me do the work!", Rengoku Kyojuro, the Flame Pillar— exclaimed, as she approached the girls. He placed a comforting hand on top of Mitsuri and Shinobu, who stepped back to let Kyojuro help. 

"Hanae-chan? Hanae-chan? Are you there?", He asked, to no avail, Hanae remained as still as a rock. He gently patted her head, continuing to do so, he then motioned for Shinobu and Mitsuri to do the same, and this time, they've improved. 

Hanae's breathing came back, followed by the fluttering of her eyes. She blinked a lot of times, feeling warmth and comfort from the poeple who helped her insides calm down.

"There you go! Hanae-chan is back!", The flame pillar proudly exclaimed, easing the rest of the pillars.

"Waahhh! Hanae-chan! You scared me!", Mitsuri latched herself on Hanae who could only stand awkwardly on spot. She literally had no idea what just happened. 

"You definitely scared us, Hanae-chan. You weren't breathing at all", Shinobu scolded, whom Hanae could only nod to. She was confused at first, but when she remembered every single fragment of events, her mouth turned into an 'o' shape, and a bright red tint covered her cheeks. 

She lowered her gaze on the ground, ashamed of the way she acted to Muichiro. Her lilac travelled from the pebbled ground to Muichiro's blank mint colored ones, surprised to see that he's attention was focused on her. Hanae immediately drifted her eyes back to the ground, with Shinobu assisting her to their spot every meeting. 

"I'm sorry for troubling you", she mumbled, loud enough for Shinobu, Mitsuri, and Kyojuro to hear. 

"It is no trouble at all! I never knew that you have this side of yours whenever Tokito-kun is around. I think you should socialize with him more!", Kyojuro patted his head in a brotherly way, before standing back to his usual place. 

"Y-yeah. . . socialize", Hanae mumbled, before glancing at her sister who gave her a smile. Mitsuri also hugged her, proceeding to her place afterwards. Kagaya will surely arrive any minute from now, so it's best to be in place. 

Hanae also went in position, which is in between Shinobu and Gyomei. The stone pillar patted her head, recognizing the youngest amongst them all. 

"Oyakata-sama has arrived", 

They all kneeled when the twins, Nichika and Hinaki informed them of their master's entrance. A serene silence engulfed the whole back garden, and all of Hanae's previous nervousness vanished. 

"It's good to see you once again, my children",

°•🌼•°

🌼°•Taisho Secret!•°🌼

•Just as Kyojuro had said. Hanae has a side that only shows whenever she's with Muichiro. Truth be told, Hanae doesn't feel any anxiousness when fighting demons, or any of the other pillars, not even to Sanemi, Obanai, or Giyu. Only Muichiro can trigger that part of her.

∆Kocho_Hanae.exe has stopped functioning∆

°•🌼•°

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I kind of renovated this story. So, if anything confuses you, just please let me know.
> 
> Thank you for reading! Make sure to leave a kudos, or comment! I would highly appreciate that!


	4. Chapter 4

"Muichiro. . .Hanae, can I have a moment with the two of you?", 

The meeting was finally over when they were called. The rest of the pillars left, each of them giving their bows towards their master. Shinobu placed a hand on Hanae's shoulder, assuring her that everything will be fine. Both Mitsuri and Kyojuro did the same gesture, letting Hanae know of their support. Lastly, Giyu patted her head, before walking away with the rest. 

That leaves Hanae alone in a room with Muichiro, Kagaya, and the twins as her companions. They all sat in a seiza style manner, with both hands neatly folded on top of their lap. Kagaya smiled at the two, immediately taking notice at how stiff Hanae's posture is. 

"Hanae, why don't you relax?", He softly asked, "Nichika can you go grab us some tea to drink?", 

"Of course, Oyakata-sama", 

"Pardon me Oyakata-sama, but I couldn't will my body to relax", Hanae mumbled loud enough for them to hear. Muichiro glanced at her, which made her a bit more stiff than before. This didn't go unnoticed by Kagaya, who knows the reason and solution for her. 

"I noticed that you're mostly anxious if Muichiro is somewhere near you. Do you have any problems with him?",

Hanae widened her eyes at this, shaking her head. "No, Oyakata-sama. I don't have any problems regarding Tokito-san. However, my body does react on it's own whenever he's around. Anxiety would slowly consume me in no time, the reasons remained unknown to me", 

"I see. How about you Muichiro? Do you have any problems with Hanae?", He turned to look at the boy beside Hanae, who in return shook his head. 

"I don't quite remember, Oyakata-sama. I mostly forget about it", Muichiro honestly replied. 

Kagaya nodded at this. It was simple. The two lack in socializing with one another. Thus, to end the awkward air around the youngest pillars, he had reached a conclusion that he foresighted to work accordingly. 

Nichika entered with a tray filled with cups of tea, she served them one by one, and when she reached Hanae, the lass didn't waste a second to accept it, thanking her afterwards. She took a cautious sip from the cup, her mouth lingering on the rim for a moment, before placing it on the floor. 

"The main reason why I held the two of you back, is that I want you both to go in a mission together", He gently stated. Hanae's eyes continued to widen more. With her lilac doe orbs staring straight at man before her. 

"A mission with Tokito-san?", She asked, with a look of bewilderment. Hanae faintly glanced at the pillar beside her, only to see him staring back at her with his dull mint eyes. She immediately turned away afterwards, with her anxiety once again creeping on her spine. 

"Yes, since the both of you are the youngest, I think it'd be best if the two of you would join a mission together. You're mostly paired with Shinobu and Giyu, no?", Kagaya turned his head towards Hanae who nodded in response. "This would be a great opportunity for you to know the reason behind your anxiety Hanae, plus you get to know how the other fought. It would increase your skills, and capabilities. The same goes for Muichiro. Both of you would earn your benefits. So what do you think?",

"Your wish is my command, Oyakata-sama", Hanae was simply tongue tied in the moment. Actually, she didn't even thought of the words that she had replied. It was more like her mouth controlling it's own. 

"What about you, Muichiro?",

"I would do as you wish, Oyakata-sama", was his reply. 

"That's good to hear. Now for the mission. . .", 

Hanae returned home at three in the morning. With the pillar meeting usually lasting at twelve midnight, and the personal conference in between her and Muichiro, which lasted in three hours. She quietly ventured inside of the mansion, taking off her zori beforehand. 

The faint snores from the distance proved her that the people inside of the mansion were now resting peacefully. When she reached her room, Hanae didn't hesitate to slide it open, only to stop midway when she saw Shinobu's leaning figure beside her. 

"Nee-san. . .", She acknowledged. 

"I just came by to check on you, Hanae", Shinobu smiled, gesturing her to step inside. She followed afterwards, only to stop in front of Hanae's closet. She immediately opened it, pulling out a yellow kimono with a pattern of peonies, for her sister to wear in sleep. 

"Change, and I shall comb your hair afterwards",

"Nee-san, aren't I too old for that?", 

"Before Kanae-nee left. . . She told me to take care of both you and Kanao. T-this is the least thing that I could do for you, since you're mostly busy eversince you've been a pillar", Shinobu smiled, when she saw that Hanae had changed, she gestured her hands for her to sit in front of her, which Hanae obliged. 

The insect pillar took the butterfly ornaments from her hair in order to brush it. Hanae's hair are long enough to reached her waist. It was naturally smooth and silky, a proof that she and Kanae had been taking care of her with so much care, as well as Kanao. 

"You really resembled nee-san at some point, Hanae", the older Kocho commented, giggling in the process. "You share the same features, the same hair length, the same attitude. Both of you are kind in nature. I—I can even see her when you smile, Hanae. If you'd style your bangs the way our eldest sister did hers, then you would surely look a lot like her", she added. 

"My bangs are naturally like this. Wait, I thought that I resembled Kanao?", 

"Only the eyes. Yours along with hers are somewhat similar, only yours are lighter", She giggled. 

"Speaking of Kanao-nee. When will she attend the final selection?", this caught Shinobu off guard, but she smiled nonetheless. She gently patted Hanae on the head, as she kneeled to tuck her comfortably in her futon.

"I shall train her for two more years. Now hush Hanae. We shall continue our chat tomorrow", 

"Sleep well, Hanae",

°•🌼•°

🌼°•Taisho Secrets!•°🌼

•Shinobu treasures Hanae and Kanao so much, that she's willing to do anything just to make them smile. She tucks them in before sleeping, the same goes for the other girls. Tho, when she have missions, she couldn't do any of those things.

°•🌼•°

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I kind of renovated this story. So, if anything confuses you, just please let me know.
> 
> Thank you for reading! Make sure to leave a kudos, or comment! I would highly appreciate that!


	5. Chapter 5

A certain lass gifted with lilac-doe eyes, sat in a seiza style position as she gazed at the fluttering butterflies that flew freely in their estate. The sun was shining brightly, and the temperature of the air is just right. It was a very nice day indeed. 

"You're going to Swordsmith Village?", Shinobu's voice echoed throughout the area, alerting Hanae of her presence. She turned her head towards the direction of the voice, greeted by the sight of her older sister and her tsuguko, whom she also treated as a sibling. 

"Yes, I just noticed it yesterday, there are parts in my blade that were chipped off", She humbly replied, taking her nichirin from it's case to hold it upward. "I am tasked to go in a mission with Tokito-san the day after tomorrow. And I figured that bringing a chipped blade won't do any good", 

"I see. Does Oyakata-sama know about this?", Shinobu furthermore asked, to which Hanae responded with a nod. Satisfied by the answers from her sister— Shinobu then excused themselves, claiming that she is to train Kanao for the whole day. 

She is left all alone. The rest of the girls are inside doing their chores, thus leaving her all by herself with only nature as her company. She patiently waited for the kakushi that would bring her to the village, but it seems like they were yet busy of something, thus their delay. 

It was all too quiet, with a serene atmosphere engulfing the area. The butterfly estate has been like this ever since she's young. However, her tranquil moment was disrupted when a pair of footsteps came to run towards her direction, and in no time, a head to toe covered individual stood before her. 

"I'm sorry for making you wait, Kocho Hanae-sama!", The female kakushi exclaimed, bowing down continuously. Hanae just gave her a smile, as she stood up to fix herself, enough to look presentable. 

She fixed her white belt, before proceeding to tug her collar in place. Her other hand pulled her cuffed sleeves and vice versa, afterwards she angled her blade to sheath it back to it's place. 

"Please take care of me", Hanae smiled sweetly, as the female kakushi blindfolded her. After a few minutes of making sure that the cloth is neatly in place. The kakushi then proceeded to carry the pillar in a piggy back ride, before setting off with a crow as her guide. 

The exchange between kakushi after kakushi happened for a while, but Hanae remained unspoken. She literally had no idea of what her surroundings looked like, or if they're near the village already. But the sudden halt answered all her confusion, as the kakushi kneeled down on the ground to place her in a delicate way. 

"We've arrived Kocho-sama", the kakushi stated, softly taking off the cloth from Hanae's line of vision. When her eyes fluttered open, she was greeted with the same village whom she had visited last year. It was as peaceful as before, and to be short nothing really changed. 

The townspeople were still wearing their masks, hiding their faces. She turned around to thank the kakushi, proceeding to the chief's house afterwards. Some civilians glanced at her way, whom she offered with a slight wave of her hand and a smile. 

Upon reaching the entrance, she immediately made herself known by knocking the wooden door, only for it to open and reveal a swordsmith whom she isn't familiar of. 

"Ah, Kocho Hanae-sama, I presume? What can I do for you?", 

"My blade kind of got chipped during my previous missions, and I am to go into another mission soon", Hanae replied with a small smile that she kept glued on her face wherever she go. The swordsmith nodded, before stepping aside to let her in. 

The man led her to a room in where she was offered to sit on a cushion, she gladly took the offer, gently making herself comfortable on the pillow. Sooner, a small man entered the vicinity, with two other people standing behind him, prompting her to bow her head as a greeting. 

"My, my. I'm glad to see you once again, Hanae-san", The chief, who goes by the name Tecchikawahara Tecchin— sat on the cushion provided for him in front of her. Despite having his face covered by a mask, the old man was smiling at the young lass, whom he hadn't seen in a span of a year. 

"The same goes for me, Tecchin-san. I believe that I last visited here with nee-san, no?", 

"Yes, yes indeed. And you were a tsuguko of hers that time. Ah, time really runs fast. I have heard that you became a pillar within seven months?" 

"It took me nine months actually", she politely corrected, which made the man laugh. He then signalled his hand to order the two behind him, with the request of serving them some tea and rice crackers. His servants immediately abided with his orders, walking out of the room to get what their chief had ordered. 

"Right. So, I guess that you have some problems with your blade, no?", He asked, going straight for the main reason why Hanae had appeared in the first place. The servants came in after wards, serving tea and crackers for both highly respected individuals. 

"Ah, yes. Some parts of my blade were chipped, and I figured that I'd have it repaired before my mission", she sheepishly replied, while taking the neatly tucked in sword along with it's case. She gently placed it on the floor in front of her, as she admired each of it's details, from the scabbard to it's six-petaled-flower shaped handguard.

"I see. I see. I'll have to fix that for you. Pardon me for creating a sword that isn't good enough for you, Hanae-san", He bowed down, in which Hanae replied while shaking both her hands in a refusing way. 

"No, no. It's alright. I love your craft very much, Tecchin-san!" 

"Thank you for your compliment. However, it won't change the fact that I am deeply sorry for creating you a sword that could actually break and cause you your downfall. I'll work on it, right away", He then stood up, taking the blade with him, before excusing himself along with his servants. 

Hanae bowed her head as a sign of acknowledging the chief. When the doors closed, the young maiden remained on the same position as before. Her hands reached for the crackers the a plate, biting it as she let her mind wander around. 

After some time, Hanae decided to take a dip in the village's hot spring. Fortunately, a kakushi had brought her some spare clothes that she could use. 

"Excuse me? Can you show me the way to the hot spring?", She asked an old lady politely. Hanae knew that a hot spring is located nearby, however during her last visit which is a year ago— Hanae, wasn't given the pleasure to try it or see it at least, because of her sister's urgency. But now that she came back, the sky pillar felt excitement flow in her, for she can finally try the spring that is believed to magically bring wonders.

Truth be told, when Hanae stepped on the hot water, she could instantly feel her muscles relax. All her thoughts were washed away, as her mind got clouded with nothing but mist. This made her dip her body until it reached her chin. It was so refreshing, the sensation was so overwhelming that she wished to enjoy it with her sisters. 

"So this is where you are located", a voice, whom she recognized very well echoed from behind. It's familiar tasteless tone, made her tense, despite the calming sensation of the spring. 

Hanae turned around, a surprised and anxious expression plastered on her face. But that soon changed into an embarrassed one, when she realized that the scene is somewhat. . . inappropriate. It was a good thing that the mist is covering her, only letting her face shown. 

"Tokito-san. . .",

"I've been looking for you for the entire day, and here you are— having the time of your life", He pointed at her with a sharp glare. "Honestly, you're just wasting some time", 

Something sharp and painful struck her heart, as she repeated those words again and again, like a broken cassette tape in her head. Her hands unconsciously hugged herself, seeking for comfort that she needed during times like this. 

"I-I'm sorry, but I went here to have my blade repaired. I'm sorry", she squeaked. Hanae glanced at a rock where a towel, and her kimono were neatly placed. However, with a male in presence, she found it a bit more inappropriate than before, thus with all her confidence, she asked for the mist pillar to at least turn around. 

"Tokito-san? C-can you please turn around?", She motioned her fingers in a circling manner, as her eyes went to travel anywhere avoiding the piercing mint ones that are set on her, and her only. 

"Why?", 

"You see, I can't change with you watching me, Tokito-san", She answered, hoping for the boy to just turn around, but he didn't. 

"Why should I turn around? So that you can escape?", He spat, now glaring at her menacingly. 

"N-no! No! Of course, not!", She defended, a hand placed near her chest to show that she was offended. "Just please turn around. I won't escape, I promise", 

Silence answered Hanae, while Muichiro turned around, facing the other direction. This prompted her to stand up, fetching the white fluffy cloth to dry herself up, and wear the pink kimono with yellow flowers that she owned. 

Unknown to her that the Muichiro turned to glance at her, wanting to make sure that she did not ran away. However, the sight of Hanae in her slightly damp hair, as she concentratedly tied the the black obi on her waist— somehow made Muichiro falter. 

For him, she looked so majestic, and. . . mysterious to him at the same time. Realizing what he had done, Muichiro immediately turned his head back, avoiding a certain direction in where he saw the sky pillar. 

A tug on his sleeves caught his attention, and there stood beside her was the shy girl who still refused to meet his gaze. He could see the way she nibbled her lips due to her nervousness. 

"Shall we head back?", Hanae finally asked, gathering every ounce of courage that she could, not realizing that her hand was still clutching Muichiro's sleeve. 

°•🌼•°

🌼°•Taisho Secret!•°🌼

•Hanae uses Sky Breathing, she created that breath style during her training as Shinobu's tsuguko. It has ten forms, which are all related to the sky.

Also, her nichirin blade is forged by the chief of the village, Tecchikawahara Tecchin— her sword is a rather thin yet sturdy one. Her blade changes into a sky blue color, which complimented her breathing techniques well. Lastly, her handguard/tsuba, is an eight petaled flower shape, with gold linings, and a white core.

°•🌼•°

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I kind of renovated this story. So, if anything confuses you, just please let me know.
> 
> Thank you for reading! Make sure to leave a kudos, or comment! I would highly appreciate that!


	6. Chapter 6

The two pillars sat silently in front of each other, with a table separating them. Hanae clasped her hands, silently thanking the gods for giving them such a nice meal. Her eyes fluttered open when she was done, raising her head for a bit. 

Muichiro just watched her while she delicately took her chopsticks, along with the small bowl filled with rice. The way her eyes sparkle intrigued him, as if there is some unseen force of gravity that keeps on pulling him towards her. It felt really wrong, something huge in him doesn't like that idea at all. However, there is also that small part who finds it right...

It made him too confused that he ended up dozing like he usually does, no noticing a hand wave in front of him. 

"Tokito-san?. . . Tokito-san?", She worriedly waved her hand in front of his face, while she leaned forward. The boy hasn't responded to her at all, this made her worry increase. 

She continued to call him, heck she even tried to poke his cheek, tug his sleeves, but all of it were proved to be futile. With a sigh, Hanae returned back to her seat, munching a piece of tempura. Her eyes occasionally glancing at him. 

The sky pillar knew that it wasn't unusual. Muichiro is known for his airheaded personality. He tend to forget things, get lost within his swarming thoughts, and daze all day. Despite those, Muichiro is also known for his bluntness, he's a bit cruel that is, and perhaps cold. 

She was told that he had lost his memories of his past, but just like her— Hanae knew deep down that he is driven with the burning rage that hid beneath that blank exterior of his.

Mitsuri had once told her that Muichiro is an amazing pillar, Tengen also claimed that he had climbed up and became a pillar within two months. Hanae was surprised when she heard this, and despite how she gets nervous around him, the sky pillar had long admired him. (Not in a romantic way). Tho, she really had no idea how he moves, or copes during missions. 

After some point, Hanae was snapped out of her trance when a servant made his presence known. "Kocho-sama, your blade is nearly finished. The chief asks for your presence in his workplace for the finishing touches", 

"Really? Alright. . . I'll follow afterwards. Just please wait for me", Hanae paused, turning her head to Muichiro whose yet in the same position as he was earlier. "Etto, Tokito-san? I'll be gone for a few hours. I'll see you later", with that she went out, following the man who led her to the chief's workplace.

It was sometime during the wee hours of morning, when Hanae returned back to the room where she left Muichiro. As she opened the door— she couldn't help it but to coo at the boy who now laid on a futon, with half of his body covered in a think white duvet. His blade rested on his side, and the table that was there is now gone, whom the servants probably fixed to clean the place. 

She silently entered the vicinity, closing the door ever so gently without making a single noise. Not knowing what had gotten into her, Hanae found herself kneeling beside the peacefully sleeping boy, her hands reaching to pull the duvet until it reached his chin. 

Afterwards, she stood up, leaving him snuggled within the sheets. Her feet led her towards another futon that was neatly placed a meter away from Muichiro's. A blush adorned her cheeks, as she settled herself, covering most of her body with the duvet that was prepared for her. 

The blanket that rested on Hanae was suddenly yanked from her, which made her eyes shot open in awake. It was followed by a series of something sliding open in an abrupt way, forcing the sunlight to enter the once dimly lit room. It was too bright for her.

"Good, now you're awake", Muichiro bluntly stated, as he crossed his arms, looking blankly at the girl before him, who is in the middle of adjusting her eyes from the sudden bright light.

"T-Tokito-san?", Hanae mumbled. After some few seconds of blinking, she had finally adjusted, now aware of how the mist pillar stared at her. "Is there anything you need?", 

"Stand up, get dressed. We're leaving", 

She immediately stood up at his sudden request, a look of bewilderment plastered on her soft features, "My blade isn't yet done, Tokito-san!", she exclaimed in alarm, as soft as possible. 

"So. . .?", 

Hanae sweat-dropped at this, before pinching her nose, "What I'm implying is, could we wait until my blade is done? I can't go into a mission or train without a sword, Tokito-san!", 

Suddenly, a sword was thrown unto her, whom she barely caught. It was heavy, way too heavy than the sword she uses. Her eye brows narrowed slightly, "What will I do with this?", 

"If you are to join in a mission with me, then you shall train with me first. Hurry up, time is running", He then turned his back from her, as he proceeded to walk for the door. 

Her lilac eyes could only watch him, as his silhouette went small with every step he took. She silently placed the sword down, fixing up the futon that she used, closing every window and door that was opened before dressing up in her demon slayer uniform, 

She pulled her white socks, tied her sandal-styled zori, before fixing her hair. She made a glance at a mirror not so far from where she stood, and seeing that she is already presentable— Hanae immediately went to go out, holding the sword with her. 

"Breath of Mist: First Form: Low Clouds, Distant Haze", 

The sky pillar barely dodged the attack from the mist pillar, before falling on her knees. She panted gravely, sweating profusely, as her chest went up and down in a fast pace. Even if she's using her full concentration breathing, battling with Muichiro with a sword not suited for her is absolutely no use. 

Muichiro stared at her, eyes as blank as ever, he approached her heaving form. "I haven't even used half of my Breathing Techniques and you're down already? How did you even became a pillar, when you're this weak", he gestured his hands at her form. 

"I told you, the sword isn't suitable for my combat style, Tokito-san", She defended in between breaths, forcing her legs to stand up and support her body, only to make her wobble back on the ground. 

"No, it's not. You're just weak. I couldn't see the reason why you are placed in such a high rank when you can't even order your body to stand", 

"Oyakata-sama wouldn't place me in such a high rank if I'm too weak for it. I told you already, it's the blade I'm using", She softly argued. "Sky Breathing focuses on stealth and nimbleness more, because like nee-san, my body is small", 

"You're just excusing the fact that you're weak. Stand up, we need to train more", 

"T-Toki—",

"Just stand up already", he spat, glaring at the girl before him who could only lift herself up in defeat. She forced her hands to carry the sword, stumbling along the way. Hanae took a deep breathe, readying her stance. 

She hasn't regained her composure yet when Muichiro launched a sudden attack while using the Fifth Form: Sea of Clouds and Haze. Like the previous attack, Hanae barely dodged it, the tip of his blade creating a small cut near her cheek. 

Hanae stood there, petrified in place. Had she not dodged that attack then she'd probably have her face slashed by now. Her hands dropped the weapon she is holding, before touching her now wet cheeks. She hadn't notice that she's crying already. 

"You're so mean Muichiro, but I understand you. Don't worry, I forgive you. Just please give me some time", with that she left him alone, running back to the chief's house, whilst Muichiro could only stand there blankly. 

But he did notice that Hanae had used his name, for the first time ever.

°•🌼•°

🌼°•Taisho Secrets•°🌼

•Hanae went back crying, alerting the ones who are inside the house. They were surprised, and confused seeing that the girl was dirty with a small cut on her cheeks in display. The female servants instantly aided her, comforting her at the best that they could. 

On the other side, Muichiro literally had no idea what to do. He was dumbfounded at the moment, but a part of him hurt after seeing her eyes glisten with tears. 

°•🌼•°

(°°°I hope that I portrayed both Hanae and Muichiro well😪)


	7. Chapter 7

After receiving her newly repaired blade, and thanking the chief for forging it in such a short time, Hanae immediately set off to embark a journey with Muichiro. Eversince their last exchange, which is the so called "training— the two never spoke a word afterwards, none of them dared to. 

The whole run towards the village they were to facilitate was filled with only rushing footsteps, rustles from leaves and twigs, and nothing else. However, the both of them still ran side by side with each other, despite the fact that Hanae could outrun him , considering the fact that she's the fastest amongst all of the pillars. 

Upon reaching the village they were greeted by some civilians as they happily did their daily chores. It looked so peaceful that you couldn't really tell if demons are really lurking around the area. 

A faint gust of wind made her long luscious hair sway in the air, she made a faint glance beside her, seeing that the mist pillar was no where to be found. He must've set off to gather his own information, leaving her alone. This made her sigh, she somehow saw that coming. 

Setting up her own pace, Hanae straightforwardly started her own hunt. She asked anyone, but she mostly ask those who are already old knowing that they were the ones that mostly keep the rumors. 

"Excuse me? Have you perhaps noticed any suspicious activities in this village?", She politely asked an elder lady who's tidying up her freshly baked goods on her own stall. subsequently glancing at her. 

"I-I don't know. I'm sorry", Hanae remained smiling despite the fact that the lady's voice was laced with fear. Nonetheless, she took off, with single cinnamon bun that she bought from the lady earlier. 

The same scenario happened on and on. The way their tones tremble and falter in fear made her blood simmer. Hanae concluded that the demon must've threatened them, or held someone dear to them as hostages. It was a clever plan indeed, however it was also dumb at the same time. 

Her small feet leapt into one of the roofs in a noiseless manner. A good areal navigation should do the work. When the sun had succumbed to it's bed, with it's twin— the moon, rising up— Hanae started to feel her surroundings, her senses more heightened than ever. 

Demons cause havoc during the night. As sharp as an owl, Hanae immediately jumped from her previous place, landing swiftly five meters away. Her blade was unsheathed during that moment, holding it with her right hand in a relaxed way. 

"I can sense it! I can sense a pillar! Oh~ I'm riled up. Muzan-sama would surely place me in a higher rank after I've eaten such a powerful Demon Slayer!", It was followed with a hysteric laugh, with a cough afterwards. The demon then showed itself in front of her, in a form of a young lad. 

Her large innocent eyes symphathetically looked at the boy. How can such a young boy— in the age of what she believed is seven— got tainted with Kibutsuji's filthy blood. He could've gotten a better future, he could've grown into such a fine man. But no, whatever bright that shines ahead of him is blocked by a never ending eclipse. 

"Are you. . .the one who brought chaos in this village?", She softly asked, hoping for the boy to reply with words. However, it proved her wrong when he initiated the first attack. 

He blinked once, and the girl before him was now gone. Pain shot from his left arm, splatters of blood staining his clothes and the roof. The sky pillar made a soft thud a meter behind him, before turning her heels around in order to face him back. 

She smiled at him, but it was more of a sad one. The demon boy did not saw that coming. It was far too fast for him to comprehend that in a mere second, a part of him got sliced off. Rage seethed his very form, regenerating as fast as he could. Veins popped from his body, fangs sharper than the usual. He sent a menacing glare towards her direction, before once again launching another attack. But this time, it was different. It was all too different. 

"Blood Demon Technique: Crawling Roses"

Huge vines with thorns shot up from the ground, surrounding Hanae in the process. Eyes gone wide, Hanae instantly jumped, trying to escape the vines that'll cover her soon, however a thin one grabbed her ankles pulling her down, as the huge one surrounded her. 

The demon started laughing in a hyena way. He started to boast about his blood art in so much detail, that he hadn't noticed the calm posture of the girl as she got covered, from his trap. 

"Such a beautiful yet filthy technique this is", Hanae mumbled, before glancing up while readying her stance. "I suppose that it wouldn't hurt if I use mines? Well. . . technically, it's just fair and square", 

"Sky Breathing: Fifth Form: Spiraled Milky Way", 

A couple of slices with incredible speed, freed her from the growing vines. Noticing that the demon is yet distracted with his boasting, Hanae took this as a chance to behead it. For a minute, life flashed before the demon's very eyes, and in a second he could feel his head fall down. 

"W-what?!", He roared, with a look of disbelief. How come his head got sliced off without him knowing? Is it some kind of joke? 

"You wasted your youth just to become a demon?", Hanae gently caught the head in time, gently placing it on her lap as she sat down on the roof, her eyes trained on the stars above. "Whatever your reasons are, I hope that you're regretting your decisions as of now. May the heavens accept your soul", 

The demon started to disintegrate into nothing, leaving Hanae underneath the glow of the moonlight. But it wasn't too long, since she stood up afterwards, jumping off from the roof and to the ground without any noises. 

She casually sheathed her blade back in it's scabbard, only to once again pull it out when an explosion suddenly occurred right in front of her. Dust and smoke came every where, covering her small form. From her peripheral vision, a flash of light suddenly emerged from her right, but she swung her sword immediately, deflecting the attack. 

Her eyes turned sharper, as another projectile was again sent to her direction. Twirling her sword with ease— she had once again deflected the attack, but that's when she felt a stinging pain on her left leg. This made her glance down, only to see a thorn pierced through her skin. 

"Oh my, I did not saw that coming", Her innocent voice rang throughout the area, as she plucked it out, throwing it elsewhere. This time, she noticed a faint movement from her side, and in reflex she aligned her blade once again to deflect it. 

"I know you just poisoned me, but having a sister who specializes with poison has it's own perks. Sort of simple tho. . .I have an antidote for that", voice as sweet as honey, made the demon angry. For him, it was as if the girl was more mocking him, which led him to send ten thorns circling Hanae. But he wasn't fast enough.

"Sky Breathing: Ninth Form: Flurry Clouds", 

Her blade, along with her body moved with so much speed, forming a bit of twirls here and there. A mob of white cloud-like feathers were seen in the battle area, it looked so harmless and weak, but such attack ended the life of the demon with ease. 

The smoke faded out, revealing the crumbling body of a demon. It was deformed, with it's limbs scattered throughout the cold ground. It was a gruesome sight. . .but that's how her ninth form helped her. Not only did it attacked the demon, but it also deflected those poisonous thorns from reaching her. 

A sweat of relief fell from her forehead, followed be her knees wobbling. She immediately thrusted her blade on the ground using it to aid her. Her eyes closed, praying for the heavens to accept such miserable soul. Subsequently, she immediately rummaged her pocket, immediately taking a box with a syringe and antidote for the poison. 

Luckily, the poison wasn't that strong, but it was enough to make her knees wobble, without wasting anytime, she pricked her own leg, wincing a bit before pushing the antidote in. The effectiveness of Shinobu's antidote immediately kicked in, and in no time her legs now stood like before. 

A thought suddenly entered her mind, prompting her to look up with her gaze landing on the moon above. Her body struck into her famous 'thinking pose', a finger near her chin, whilst her arms are both crossed. 

"Ara ara~? How's Muichiro-san doing?",

°•🌼•°

🌼°•Taisho Secrets•°🌼

•Hanae has a habit of saying 'Ara-ara~' (either translated as Oh my, or My my) just like her sisters, but she doesn't use it that much, only if she's amused or confused. 

Also, this is the second time that Hanae called the mist pillar by his first name! Sadly, Mui isn't with her. 

•Hanae's breathing techniques are "harmless", but also "deadly" as it looks. If you get what I mean.

°•🌼•°

¶I did not expected for this book to have 72 hits. I am honestly surprised. Thank you very much for reading this. I really really appreciate it.


	8. Chapter 8

After eliminating all the demons that resided within the village, Hanae sought to look for the mist pillar, in order to join him in departing from the place. However, it turned out that Muichiro had soon left the village, leaving her alone and dumbfounded. 

"Caw! Caw! Tokito Muichiro-sama had long left the village! Caw!"<

Well, she expected that already. She isn't surprised that he'd leave her. At the same time, half of her mind quite celebrated the idea of his lack of presence. Apparently, her anxiety had never left her all this time, it only grew larger. She'd only feel at ease if Muichiro is far or at least nowhere around her area. 

Her baby crow, Mochi— made itself comfortable on top of her head, plainly using it as a nest. The pillar could only giggle at her crow's cuteness. She eyed the peak of a mountain, before starting her own pace, heading straight ahead the direction of her home region.

"Ah, let's stop for a while, mochi. I'm kind of hungry right now", the sound of her grumbling stomach was then heard, agreeing with her statement. "Would you look for a nearby store for me? Anything will suffice", 

"Caw! As you wish, Hanae-sama!", 

Scanning around the area, Hanae's eyes immediately landed on a rock located a few meters away from her. Beautiful lilac orbs shimmered at the sight of it, the rock was eventually tall enough to let her legs dangle. It was perfect. 

Without wasting any second, her small feet immediately went to claim the spot as her temporary resting place, whilst she waited for mochi to come back to her. Her small legs swayed back and forth, eyes trained on the blue and calm sky above, hoping to see the fluttering wings of her baby kasugai crow. 

Just then, a familiar pillar walked passed the area, immediately noticing the familiar sky blue and white cored butterfly hair pins, that only one person wears.

"Kocho? What are you doing here?", Tomioka Giyu, the Water Pillar— stated emotionlessly, as he stared at the petite female. Her ears perked up, eyes darted to meet his royal blue once. Upon seeing him, Hanae immediately jumped down with a delighted expression on her face.

"Giyu-san! Oh, please. Just call me Hanae! How many times do I have to tell you that?", She replied, hugging him in which surprised the male. He awkwardly stood there, not knowing what to do. 

"Did nee-san teased you again?", Hanae asked, large doe eyes widening with innocence. The male found it quite adorable, however his expression remained that emotionless. She reached out for his haori, tugging it to once again earn his attention. 

"You don't have to listen to nee-san, you know. I'm sure someone out there likes you! And I'm one of them!", She exclaimed, at the same time, her stomach started to grumble, which made her blush. ". . .Sorry",

"You're hungry?", The older pillar asked, earning a sheepish nod from the girl. He sighed at her, before giving her a neatly wrapped onigiri, whom he hid inside his haori. Her eyes could only stare at it, and back to Giyu, and vice versa. 

"Take it. I'm not hungry anyways", 

"B-but, what about later? You can ea—", Giyu sighed, before gently stuffing her mouth with the onigiri. Her eyes widen, with her mouth unconsciously biting a small piece. 

"That's settled then. By the way, aren't you with Tokito? I heard that the both of you got sent into a joint mission", his eyes watched as the child before him shrugged her shoulders, whilst quietly eating the onigiri that he gave. When she swallowed her fourth bite, Hanae went to look up at him, a frown on her face.

"He. . .left me", 

"Left?", 

"It was a long story. . .but yes, he left me. He went home earlier", 

Giyu sighed at this, feeling bad for the girl who got ditched. Suddenly, a light bulb lit inside his head, an idea popping inside his head. His mouth opened, ready to voice out his offer, when suddenly Hanae's baby crow came back, landing itself on top of Giyu's bed hair.

"Caw! Caw! Kocho Hanae is to join Tomioka Giyu in his mission! Join Tomioka Giyu in his mission! Caw!", 

The water pillar deadpanned at this. It was exactly what he's about to offer her— to join him in his mission. He released a sigh, before glancing down at the girl, who eagerly nodded. 

"Ah, it's been so long, since our last paired mission! It's more fun with you, Giyu-san!", She exclaimed, clapping her hands like a little child who had just gotten her Christmas present. It was cute, nonetheless. 

"Right. . .don't you have your haori with you? It would be too cold in that region",

Hanae shook her head, frowning at the thought of her haori that Shinobu brought for her as a present for becoming a pillar, "I ripped a part of it, and since I'm too busy, I couldn't bring it to a tailor. But if you suggest, I could ask my crow to bring it to me", 

She glanced at her crow, still perched on top of Giyu. Her eyes stared deeply at it black ones, a smile adorning her face. "Can you please go back to the Butterfly Estate, and ask any of the girls for my haori?", 

The crow cawed in agreement, immediately taking off for it's master's request. Both pillars gazes were directed at the crow, before setting off with their own mission in mind. 

Both of them were running, dodging leaves, branches, or any obstacles on the way with such ease. After some time, her crow cawed alerting the two. A familiar white clothe, along with a flower shaped knot was then dropped from the air, whom Hanae easily caught. 

Her eyes trailed on the fabric, noticing that the rip was no where to be found. She questioningly wore it whilst running, stopping for a second to tie the knot bellow her collar, fastening the upper part which led the lower to gracefully flow along with her skirt. 

Bits of white started to coat the area, indicating the pillars that they were close to their destination. "You're right, Giyu-san! It is a bit chilly now!", She commented, as she continued to run with the water pillar. 

"It's getting darker. I'll cover the east side. See you later, Giyu!", Hanae happily turned towards the other direction, immediately greeted by a demon, whom she swiftly sliced without any hesitation. 

"Ara ara~ you quite infested this area", She smiled sweetly, towards the disintegrating head of a demon who continuously cussed at her. Her hands clasped, head bowed down— she offered a prayer for the human that was turned into a demon, hoping for it to be accepted despite it's sins. 

She's too kind for her own good. In fact, Hanae had offered more than thousands of prayers for every single she decapitated. Sanemi would often call her foolish for that, in where she would only smile at him in return. 

Even Ubuyashiki Kagaya had warned her about her unending kindness. "Your kindness can be your formidable weapon, but it can also cause your own destruction", those were the exact words that came from his very mouth. 

Not that she's aware of it. The sun had already sank, whilst the moon claimed the sky once again along with the stars that served as it's companions. At the same time, the amount of demons soon increased. 

"Sky Breathing, Eight Form: Sun Radiance",

A bright beam of light engulfed the area, and in a second, every single demon that were planning to ambush her on spot— laid on the snowy ground, heads separated from their main bodies. 

On the center stood Hanae, her back facing them with her sword in hand. They were surprised seeing that she's just a mere little girl, but her skills were beyond that of those previous demon slayers that they've slaughtered. 

"May all of you rest in peace.", 

She was their saviour. She saved them from the grief that they were tied to. They couldn't believe that even in this harsh world, a girl like her was born. She's too pure, too soft, too kind for them. 

After their crimes, the girl still managed to pray for them, and hope for the heavens to accept their tainted souls, with one last glance at the young lass, one of them managed to croak. . .

"Thank you for saving us", before disappearing into nothingness. 

°•🌼•°

🌼°•Taisho Secrets•°🌼

•Muichiro forgot that he has a companion during the mission, which led him to leave Hanae in the process. 

•Kanao was the one who sewed Hanae's haori, and is also the one who made the flower knot.

•Shinobu and Hanae once had a full sibling war, with Giyu as their topic. Hanae disliked the idea of having Giyu, bullied by her older sister. After seeing the upset Hanae, Shinobu stopped to bully him whenever she's around, instead she does it secretly. There is that one time when she sent her crow to deliver a letter to Giyu, with the words. . . 

"My sister just pitied you, that's why she defended you", 

Thankfully, Giyu knew that Hanae wasn't that kind of person, because she's pure and honest. An absolute angel. 

°•🌼•°


	9. Chapter 9

There she stood, basking underneath the grim skies. White flurries of snow falling, dampening some of her hair and her clothes. She, along with Tomioka Giyu, shared the same silence, both staring in surprise and bewilderment at the pair in front of them.

Tho, it wasn't an ordinary pair. The boy, whom Hanae knocked down unconscious— claimed that the girl is his younger sister and only family left. However, the way the pillars saw the girl straddling the boy down, craving the taste of flesh and blood. Giyu was the first to swing his sword, but the boy dodged it, rolling on the snowy ground along with his dear sibling. 

Hanae followed afterwards, showing up behind them, aiming her blade on the demoness' neck, only for them to dodge it again. 

"Why are you protecting it?", Giyu asked, with his voice laced with coldness, eyes staring down at the boy before him, who had a hopeless expression. 

The sky pillar landed gracefully softly next to Giyu, a small smile is yet plastered on her face, as she calmly gazed at the boy. "That's a demon you're protecting, I hope that you're aware of that",

"Younger! She's. . .", He paused, catching up his breath, before continuing. "She's my younger sister!", The demon started to thrash within his hold, who he desperately tried to stop.

"That thing is your sister?", The water pillar once again asked, with his right brow raised. It was clear as day that he isn't buying any of the boy's crazy idea. Whether that girl be his sister or not, a demon will always be a demon, and is needed to be eliminated before it causes havoc. 

Giyu stood there for a second, disappearing in an instance. The boy reacted quickly, seeing at the older male is now heading at their direction with immense speed, and within a second the girl within his grip is gone. 

"Nezuko!", He exclaimed, seeing his sister in the arms of a demon slayer, nonetheless a pillar. The demon growled, thrashing once again in Giyu's hands. Meanwhile, the Sky Pillar, Kocho Hanae— could only watch the exchange.

Her heart is squeezed by the look that the boy is giving. The way his eyes widened in horror as he landed his gaze on the water pillar who stared at him with no signs of emotion. All of it tugged her heartstring. She felt bad and sorry, he had lost his family, and is also about to loose his sister. 

"Don't move!", Giyu exclaimed, stunning the boy in place. "My job, along with the girl behind you, is to kill demons. Of course, I'm going to decapitate your sister", 

"Please wait! Nezuko hasn't killed anyone!", He exclaimed, hands reaching to hopefully stop the water pillar from decapitating the demon. 

"Hasn't killed anyone?", Hanae asked, softly like she usually does, prompting the boy to look at her, with a tinge of hope in his eyes. Perhaps, the girl would let them go; perhaps she'll let them past. 

"Yes! My sister hasn't killed anyone. No one! At the location of our house, there was another scent. Another scent which I'm not familiar of! Whatever killed anyone is probably that!", He paused, regaining his breath before continuing. "Nezuko is different! I don't know why she's acting like that! But—", 

"A human turns into a demon, if you bathe an open wound with demon blood", the sky pillar stated, her lips pursed into a thin line. Her atmosphere is yet calm, but her insides weren't. A war with both her mind and heart, is happening amidst the moment. "That's how they increase their numbers. . .", 

"Nezuko hasn't eaten anyone!",

"How dare you! Just now, it looked like you were about to be eaten", 

"That's enough, you can't know that for sure. In my case! I wouldn't let her injure anyone! I'll turn her back into human, I'll definitely cure her!", 

"There's no cure. There is no way a demon can turn back into human", Giyu explained, only to earn another proclamation from the boy. The water pillar was obviously frustrated, while the youngest of them stayed silent in the sides. She had no idea how to act. 

Giyu pointed his blade on the growling girl, prompting the boy to desperately plead for his sister's life, it even reached the point in where he bowed down, with his forehead hitting the ground. Hanae saw this unfold, which led her to appear next to Giyu within 0.5 seconds. Her hand reached up, grabbing the sleeve of his haori. 

"Please stop. Please, I'm begging you", the boy sobbed. 

"Giyu-san. . .", Her eyes were dead serious, silently asking him to stop. Obviously, her mind lost from her heart. However, instead of lowering his blade, Giyu had only shrugged her off. 

The bomb within Giyu suddenly bursted, as he continued to yell at the boy, who could only look at him, startled. Hanae too was surprised, making her flinch and freeze in place. It was rare for Giyu to suddenly burst like that, he's usually calm and collected. 

Emotion filled words flooded their ears, as it continued to ring around the area. He is beyond frustrated at this moment, but deep down he sympathised the boy, and blamed himself for being late. 

"Stop!", The boy exclaimed, as he pieced the tip of his blade on the demon's shoulder, prompting it to scream in pain. At the same time, the boy stood up throwing a palm sized rock towards Giyu, who deflected it with such ease. 

He continued to run, with an axe in hand. He then once again threw a rock at Giyu, whom he dodged easily by moving his head, however this time, the boy launched himself at the pillars. Tho, the second he reached a meter away from them, Hanae immediately used the handle of her blade to knock him unconscious. 

"Where's the axe? Giyu-san, he's holding an axe", Hanae half-asked with alert. She saw him grab an axe a while ago, but she had no idea where it went. 

Time seemed to flow slow, when something shiny from above had caught their attention. It was the axe, flying directly towards the water pillar. Thankfully, Giyu dodged it, cutting a bit of his pointy hair. Had he not moved in time, them he's head would probably be in half right now. 

The demon started to thrash around Giyu, and sincerely he's guard faltered that moment, the demon kicked him away, sending him away for a few meters. Sh

And that's how they ended into their current situation. The demon protectively spread her arms in front of the unconscious boy, as she glared at the pillars in front of her, but mostly Hanae, since she is the one who knocked her older brother unconscious. 

In a blink of an eye, the demon charged directly at Hanae, who was stunned in the moment. She couldn't move her blade, nor she couldn't jump away. She was petrified in place. Luckily, Giyu was able to regain his composure, knocking the girl off before clawing the pillar, who's eyes gone wide at the close death. 

"Are you alright?", He asked, eyes searching for any form of injuries, seeing that there wasn't a single scratch on the Hanae's porcelain skin. Though, she was yet in shock, for she could only nod in reply. 

Fifteen minutes had passed, when Hanae finally regained her composure, her gaze immediately darting down on the unconscious bodies that laid before her. Shortly after, Giyu arrived with a muzzle made from a bamboo, along with a thick brown clothe in hand. 

"I-I'm sorry for lagging", Hanae mumbled, ashamed of the way she hesitated. It was the first time in her history of being a demon slayer. Hesitating and not being able to move accordingly is a huge mistake for a pillar like her. 

"You did well", A hand rested on top of her head, to which calmed her down for a bit. She glanced at the pillar beside her, only to turn back on the pair with silence reigning them. 

Giyu removed his hand from her head, proceeding to wrap the girl in the clothe that he brought and tying the muzzle that he made on her mouth, to prevent her from eating any human. 

"What are your plans?", Hanae suddenly asked out of the blue, catching Giyu off guard. Of course, he had thought of it already. "Are you perhaps going to send them to Urokodaki-san?", 

"Indeed, I am", 

"That's good", the reply prompted Giyu to look at her in confusion, but was instead met with her signature smile. "I trust them both", 

"You're too kind", he stated. 

"I'll take that as a compliment!", Hanae gleefully replied, as she approached the boy whom she noticed is in the verge of waking up. 

"Hi there", she smiled at the boy who jolted awake while panting, this made her crouch down for a bit, not wanting the boy to crane his neck just to meet her line of vision. "My name is Hanae, nice to meet you!", 

"Kamado! Kamado Tanjiro! T-thank you for sparing my sister. I-I owe you my life. Thank you!", Tanjiro bowed down, his forehead hitting the ground just like before, but instead of pleading in desperation— this time, it was because of his huge gratitude. 

"You should thank the man over there", Hanae chuckled, pointing at Giyu who had his back rested on a tree, eyes catching interest on the ground before him. "I'm sorry for knocking you out cold. I didn't really mean it. I just acted to prevent you from harming Giyu-san", 

"I-I'm sorry too! I was the one who provoked the both of you! I really am sorry for my actions", 

"There's no harm done. It's alright. By the way, Giyu-san needs to say something, better listen to him", both their eyes were now trained on the man who faced them both, Hanae stood up afterwards walking towards the water pillar.

"Visit the elder named Urokodaki Sakonji living at the foot of the Misty Mountain. Tell him that Tomioka Giyu, and Kocho Hanae sent you", He stated, devoid of emotions like he usually does. "Because the light isn't increasing, it seems that it's okay for you to travel", 

"By the way, Kamado-san! Don't take your sister out under the sun", Hanae reminded, before vanishing from her place with a smile. Giyu could only deadpanned at this, following afterwards, leaving both Tanjiro and Nezuko to fend on their own. 

°•🌼•°

🌼°•Taisho Secret!•°🌼

•Hanae followed what her oldest sister, Kocho Kanae, the former Flower Pillar— had said to her when she was young, and that is to listen to her heart sometimes. 

"Listen to your heart sometimes, Hanae-chan. Don't let your mind be in control of everything", 

"H-hai!", 

°•🌼•°


	10. Chapter 10

The sun was smiling at Hanae who is currently crouched down in front of some shrubs that are planted inside the Butterfly Estate. Sweat dripped down from her forehead, hands holding a pair of shears, as she trimmed the leaves neatly. 

It was exactly two weeks after her encounter with Tanjiro and Nezuko. They kept it as a secret, not wanting to have the others know that they had violated the code of conduct that each Demon Slayers shall follow. 

When she arrived with Giyu, their kasugaigarasu greeted them with a summons from Ubuyashiki Kagaya, their master. The two didn't spare a second, and immediately went to the Ubuyashiki Estate, in where both his older twins, Nichika and Hinaki— greeted and ushered them in. 

Hanae was sweating bullets, tense, and nervous. Her face was obviously pale, but thank the deities above that Kagaya didn't held their actions against them. He claimed that he had accepted both Tanjiro and Nezuko. Until then, he told them to hide it, and let time to reveal every single deeds that they've made. It eased the both of them, but deep down, Hanae is guilty of betraying the organization, the pillars, the members, and the people, whom she promised to serve. 

"Hanae-san, Tokito-sama is looking for you!", Naho squeaked, followed by Sumi and Kiyo who are both sweating profusely. Hanae turned her head around their direction, but instead she was met with the familiar blank look of the mist pillar. 

"Ah, Tokito-san. . .what brings you here?", She asked, turning her head back to the shrub, inspecting it carefully, before snipping a small part. 

"What are you doing?", He just stood there, watching her crouched form in boredom. Truth be told, he is a bit frustrated, seeing that the girl in front of him has her attention focused on a mere shrub. Quite childish of him, yes. 

"Cutting the shrubs. . .?", Her tone raised for a bit during the end, making it a question more than a statement. The atmosphere started to become awkward for Hanae, due to the fact that Muichiro is staring at her, as if cutting some shrubs is a crime.

"You're dirty, aren't you going to change?",

"I will tend the soil after this so. . .I guess later?", Muichiro deadpanned at this, sighing in frustration before plopping down on the ground, in the same spot where he stood just a second ago. 

"Can you stop answering my questions with questions? It gets irritating", He placed his hands down on his laps, while his eyes dumbly gazed at her. Tho, it didn't last long, for the sky started to seduce him, prompting him to look up, and forget the reason why he came in the first place. 

Hanae, despite having Muichiro behind her, continued to give the shrub a proper haircut. Tho, internally— the sky pillar is once again anxious of his sudden appearance. But knowing Muichiro— she certainly knew that he had something in mind. . . Well, that's if he could still remember it. 

She glanced at him for a while, only to see him— sitting crossed legged on the ground, mint colored eyes focusing on one thing. The sky. Typical of Tokito Muichiro. 

Noticing that she's been staring at him for too much, Hanae decided to quickly go back to focus more on her work. Just a few more snips here and there. . .and then she's done!

A triumphant smile graced her visage, complimenting her natural features. She gently placed the gardening shears on the ground, subsequently standing up to dust herself. It was a success. 

Out of pure instinct, her eyes travelled from the green plant towards the mist pillar, seeing that he is yet engrossed with the huge canvass painted with blue, and white. Beauty it was, indeed. Watching the skies has never failed to amaze Hanae. 

"It's beautiful, isn't it?", Hanae mumbled, loud enough for the mist pillar to hear. Her small form settled down beside the mist pillar, not even bothering that she's all soggy with all the sweat that her body produced during her gardening. 

Without a second thought, she let her body fall on the grassy ground, laying on her back, facing the canvass that served as her inspiration for creating her own breath. A faint gust of wind blew passed their area, creating a small rhythm to ease the silence that had once engulfed them— lulling Hanae to travel into the world of dreams. 

Mint colored orbs darted towards the girl who laid beside him. It was as if time had once again stopped, as he admired her soft assets. From her, thick and long lashes, down to her small pointy nose. The way her pink lips parted, as her chest moved up and down in a slow manner— enticed him. 

Fingers reached up to tuck some strands of raven colored bangs, brushing it softly to remove the hindrance that hid the corners of her beauty. Kocho Hanae is the exact reference of beauty and serenity like the skies above. 

It surprisingly calmed him whenever she's around. All of his stresses, the frustration within, the hidden anger, the annoyance— everything that creates an awful melody would mellow down, whenever his gaze would land on her. 

And for the first time ever, he felt fear. 

Fear of the fact that he literally had no idea about the sudden changes within his body. That's why he chose to distance himself from her. He forced himself to drift farther, but something magnetic would always pull him back. 

"You're scaring me, Kocho", he muttered, pulling his hands away to rest on his lap, as he sat in a seiza styled manner. Eyes continued to gaze on the sleeping female, who shifted to face him. 

With a sigh, he stood up, gently scooping her vulnerable form. Upon entering the estate, all eyes were on him, anyone who saw the scene had their breaths caught up to their throats. It was unbelievable. Could it really be the mist pillar that they just saw? It was out of character for him to do so. 

"What are you looking at? Mind your own business", Muichiro spat, noticing the intense gazes from demon slayers who got injured and was admitted to the Butterfly Estate to rest. He glared at them, devoid of emotion yet the irritation and deadly aura says otherwise, making them cower and hide underneath their blankets or pillows out of fright. 

The mist pillar has never been nice to them. 

"Ara ara~ If it isn't Tokito-kun!", Shinobu chimed in, seeing the youngest male pillar. Insect-like orbs traveled from his face, towards the sleeping lass in his grasp, which made her mouth form into an 'o' shape. "Isn't that my sister?", 

"Stop pointing the obvious. Of course, she is", This made the older Kocho giggle, smiling at him with such sweetness. 

"There is no need to be harsh, Tokito-kun",

"You know her room right? Can you show it to me?", 

Blinking her eyes in utter surprise, Shinobu suddenly felt like hearing a certain tone of softness in his usual monotone voice. It was unlikely for him to care for others, whether a pillar or a lower ranked demon slayer. The only person whom he respected, and never lashed out on was their master, Ubuyashiki Kagaya. 

"Ara? This is new. . .I never knew that you are someone to care for others, Tokito-kun", 

"I don't care for others",

"If you don't, then why is my sister sleeping ever so peacefully in your soft hold, Tokito-kun?", ah, the battle of logic, that seemed to catch the mist pillar in a corner. He blinked once, searching for an answer to counter the insect pillar's statement. 

"She's different. . .", Muichiro paused, glancing at the girl who nuzzled her head on his chest. "Now, could you please show me her room? You're wasting my time", He bluntly said, which did not offend Shinobu in the slightest. She's fond of it, everyone within the group of pillars are. 

"Alright, her room is this way", Shinobu subconsciously pinched her nose, gesturing her hand towards the door that led them to the main hall of the estate. 

°•🌼•°

🌼°•Taisho Secrets•°🌼

•Shinobu internally squealed at the scene of Muichiro holding Hanae. It was unknown to the two, but when Hanae was ten years old, she would often visit Muichiro in the Ubuyashiki Estate. But of course, they forgot it. 

"The main reason why Muichiro came in the Butterfly Estate in the first place is to ask for some medicine and bandages from his wound that he got during his previous mission, but he forgot it after catching a glimpse of Hanae— which led him to ask for her instead. 

°•🌼•°


	11. Chapter 11

Glistening droplets of sweat flowed down slowly from her head, down to her neck— wood clashing with wood, accompanied the faint melody that the wind was composing, as both Hanae and Sanemi engaged in a training during their free time. 

Anybody who would pass by and watch, can already determine that the Wind Pillar, Shinazugawa Sanemi— has the upper hand. He's speed and strength combined together can fully surpass the Sky Pillar, knowing fully well that she mostly relied on her nimbleness and stealth every single battle. 

"Your speed is amazing, but you lack in strength. I must say that if you got some muscles in you, then you'll surely have the upper hand. . .but sadly, you're as skinny as a bamboo stick", He spat, single handedly chopping her back, when she launched a direct thrust attack. It made her wince. The impact of his force that flowed down his wooden sword was never to be estimated. 

"Is that a threat or a compliment, Shinazugawa-san? You know fully well, that. . .I have a rather small build", the younger frowned, standing back while rubbing the part of her cheek that got slammed on the ground. 

Dirt and dust are both present in her small form. Bruises and scratches were also seen— whilst Sanemi stood there, unscathed. This is what they would usually look like every training, tho there are times in where Sanemi would actually receive a cut or two from the lady, but. . .it's a rather rare case. 

"Yeah, yeah. You know what? I have something else to do", the Wind Pillar walked away afterwards, leaving the Sky Pillar alone. Well, that is until the Mist Pillar showed up, holding a small box that is neatly wrapped in a pink cloth. 

"You look like shit", Muichiro blatantly stated, eyeing her up and down. One of his eye brows were raised in a questioning manner and degrading manner, but Hanae is completely oblivious of this.

Apparently, he had just happen to walk passed the Wind Estate, when he saw her standing in the middle of the spacious yard— totally forgetting the Love Pillar's order to bring the bento box to the girls in the Butterfly Estate as a thank you gift. 

"Tokito-san! I didn't notice you there. Pardon me for my rather. . . unpresentable figure", She giggled, before skipping in front a few feet in front of him, with a couple of broken down wooden swords in hand. "My training with Shinazugawa-san had just ended. I'm heading home now", 

"Oh? You train with him?", He asked, in a somewhat unamused tone. Tho, within the trench of his heart, he could hear a voice— disappointed and disapproving of the revelation that Hanae mostly trained with Sanemi and not him. 

"Yes, Sky Breathing and Wind Breathing are somewhat in the same branch. That's why I mostly train with Shinazugawa-san", she offered him her signature sweet smile, before walking pass his dumbfounded figure, in hopes of returning back to her humble abode that she shared with her siblings. 

However, Muichiro was fast enough to catch her hand in time, pulling her backwards which made her stumble and fell. Arms stretched wide— the Mist Pillar found himself gazing over the Sky Pillar who had her eyes on the male. 

The first thing that he noticed was her bright lilac eyes, which brightly shimmered against his dull once. Specs of blue were also noticeable upon closer view, which he did not expected to see such detailed irises in his entire life. No one, absolutely no one could change his decisions of placing Hanae at the very top of his 'beautiful eyes list'.

"T-Tokito-san?", Stuttering herself out, she managed to tug one of his loose sleeves— taking him out of his trance. He quickly retracted his arms back, making her fall back first on the solid ground with a quite 'oof' from the lady. 

"I-ittai", the poor lass slowly lifted her body sore body up, before picking up the wooden swords from the ground. She then faced her co-pillar, with a small pained smile plastered on her face. "That hurt, Tokito-san", 

"That hurt you?", Muichiro raised a brow, as if mocking her, when he was eventually confused. How can such a faint fall hurt a pillar? 

"You know that my body is kind of sore, right? I've went to restless missions the last few days, only to train harder every time I'm free", she paused, sighing afterwards. "But no worries. Anyways, If you may excuse me, but I have some things to do after fixing this",

After the exchange between the Mist and Sky Pillar— she found herself tracking up the shortest route that'll lead her home. The winds picked up, harshly slamming it's non-existent form towards the walking lady with thoughts plaguing her mind. More likely, she's been drowning herself about Nezuko and Tanjiro, whom she had visited last week. 

The demoness, is apparently in deep slumber, with no signs of waking up. Tanjiro, on the other hand— had been training himself, under Urokodaki Sakonji's vision, hoping to pass the Final Selection. Nonetheless, she too— willingly raised her hand to train the boy, given that both Kamado siblings have her full support. 

It was risky. Too risky, yes. But nothing stops her from lending those who are in need. One blue moon, the Sky Pillar was almost caught red-handed by Shinazugawa Sanemi, when she happened to pass by his estate in the middle of the night. That wouldn't be too suspicious, for the Wind Pillar could just shrug it off with the thought of her— being sent into another mission. 

But of course, the world's odds were sided with her— since Sanemi, apparently caught a glance of a huge basket in her grasp. So tempted he is to follow her. Just who in the world brings a huge basket when going to missions? He thought. Absolutely, no one. 

Not even Kanroji Mitsuri— who is expected of packing so much food— wouldn't do such. It was her. . .and just her. The only Sky Pillar, Kocho Hanae. Suspicious it was indeed, but the pillar could only refrain himself from following her to wherever her destination is. 

Tho, the next morning he did asked her. Boy, had he noticed the way she flinched, the way her eyes shifted from left to right— in order to avoid his, the way she fidgeted with her fingers, says a whole lot of things that she probably locked in secrecy. 

Hanae has never been a good liar. 

Shaking her head to rid of the thoughts, the lass found herself standing in front of the Estate she called home. The same comfortable ambiance engulfed the area, calming her once frantic nerves. 

"Hanae-san! You're back!", Sumi, exclaimed in delight, hands filled with white fabrics that are neatly watched and folded into squares— approached her, a smile marveling her face. "You're badly bruised! Please, allow me to treat that for you", 

"Yes, thank you", was her reply, before setting up a calm pace towards the open doors of her home, once again in deep thought, as once again constructed a plan for the night.

Later this twilight, when the moon is up high, with nothing but the owls and bats watching her— she'll set off to once again visit the Kamado siblings. Hopefully. Just hopefully. . .no one, would notice her. 

°•🌼•°

🌼°•Taisho Secret•°🌼

•Sanemi didn't bother to follow her, even if he literally found her in such a weird behavior. Tho, he did interrogated her, but never did pried much deeper.

°•🌼•°

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading this story. Please leave some comments about your opinions regarding this fanfiction. I would highly appreciate that.
> 
> Looking forward on writing for you guys.
> 
> I'm still new so.. . . I may have errors along the way.


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